Sprint

This week the Electronic Frontier Foundation has announced that they're heading a coalition of groups - 19 in all - in a lawsuit targeting the NSA. The National Security Agency is under the microscope in this suit which suggests the government be obligated to inventory and make public (or at least let it be known what they've got) before they destroy all data collected in what's known as the Associational Tracking Program. This program works with data collected from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.

We got our hands on the Kyocera Hydro Edge back in May (as well as the Hydro XTRM), with the word being at the time that it would be rolled out to the US market soon. Several weeks later, and both Boost Mobile and Sprint have announced the availability of the Hydro Edge, a waterproof handset aimed at those who want a budget handset with a bit of environment protection.

On March 28, we reported on a survey conducted by AT&T, which revealed that just under half of all drivers in the United States admit to texting while driving, despite 98-percent of those individuals reporting that it is dangerous and something they shouldn't do. Likewise, according to that survey, 43-percent of all teenage drivers say they text and drive. Such is the reason AT&T created the "It Can Wait" campaign, which several carriers just joined.

Dish Network has thrown in as a Sprint suitor, offering $25.5bn to pick up the ailing CDMA carrier, and frustrate would-be buyer Softbank in the process. The takeover - which Dish chairman Charles Ergen described as "much more compelling than the Softbank transaction," in his opinion, and by the satellite TV provider's own calculations would amount to 13-percent more than the Japanese carrier has offered - would leave Dish able to offer combined home and mobile voice, data, and entertainment services across the US.

Our friends over at Android Police surfaced a leak of ZTE's Quantum smartphone, which is destined for Sprint. The handset is shown as being the N8910 model, and while it isn't the highest end handset out there, the specs certainly make this smartphone worth checking out. You can check out some pictures of the phone after the jump.

The purchase of a controlling stake in Sprint's business here in the United States has become a bit of a circus when it comes to companies stepping in with complaints here in the spring of 2013. The plan was first tipped back in October of 2012 and confirmed that same month with a 70% stake in Sprint being agreed upon for $20.1 billion dollars, purchased by Japan-based mobile carrier Softbank. Since that announcement, we've seen protests from AT&T, the Dish Network, and now the real deal US Department of Justice - it appears that there are going to be some delays, needless to say.

This week the folks at Dish Network have made it clear that they're going to go hardcore with their business tactics when it comes to attaining Clearwire - their methods including hitting the competition where it hurts: Sprint's merger with Softbank. Several months ago Softbank made a bid to attain US-based Sprint while Sprint made a bid to attain Clearwire, their ability to purchase Clearwire being based on they themselves being purchased by Softbank. Because Dish Network sees Softbank's acquisition of Sprint as contingent on Sprint's future purchase of Clearwire, they've filed for the whole stack of cards to come tumbling down.

Sprint will acquire 100-percent of mobile broadband network Clearwire in a deal worth $2.2bn, the carriers have confirmed, with Clearwire valued at around $10bn in total and Sprint planning to use the extra spectrum for new LTE roll-out. The deal, which had been rumored for some weeks, sees Clearwire's board accept $2.97 per each share Sprint does not currently own; the carrier was already a majority shareholder in Clearwire.

Sprint has made a $2.1bn offer for Clearwire, hoping to snatch up the remaining shares of the WiMAX carrier so as to gain full control over its valuable wireless spectrum holdings. The deal, revealed in an SEC filing, would see Sprint pay $2.90 per share, with 48.3-percent of the overall shares still out of its control; others with a stake in Clearwire include Intel and Comcast.

Sprint and wireless broadband provider Clearwire have been working together for several years. Sprint currently owns about 51% of Clearwire and has eyes to own the whole enchilada. Rumors have circulated for months now that Sprint was in negotiations to purchase all of Clearwire.